Port

A surgeon implants a port in the chest just under the skin. It is a small disc (kind of like a little pin cushion) made of plastic or metal about the size of a quarter that has a soft thin tube called a catheter connecting the port to a large vein near the heart. Chemotherapy and other IV medications are given through a special needle that fits into the port. Blood can also be drawn through the port to test ANCs and other panels. Kiara’s port is accessed every Thursday during her oncology appointment. After her chemo roadmap is finished, she will go to the clinic 1-2x per month to have her port flushed. After a couple MRIs over the course of 3 or so months and if her scans are stable then her port can be surgically removed.